Anthocyanin-Rich Vegetables for Human Consumption—Focus on Potato, Sweetpotato and Tomato

Abstract

Malnutrition, unhealthy diets, and lifestyle changes have become major risk factors for non-communicable diseases while adversely impacting economic growth and sustainable development. Anthocyanins, a group of flavonoids that are rich in fruits and vegetables, contribute positively to human health. This review focuses on genetic variation harnessed through crossbreeding and biotechnology-led approaches for developing anthocyanins-rich fruit and vegetable crops. Significant progress has been made in identifying genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in various crops. Thus, the use of genetics has led to the development and release of anthocyanin-rich potato and sweet potato cultivars in Europe and the USA. The purple potato ’Kufri Neelkanth’ has been released for cultivation in northern India. In Europe, the anthocyanin-rich tomato cultivar ‘Sun Black’ developed via the introgression of Aft and atv genes has been released. The development of anthocyanin-rich food crops without any significant yield penalty has been due to the use of genetic engineering involving specific transcription factors or gene editing. Anthocyanin-rich food ingredients have the potential of being more nutritious than those devoid of anthocyanins. The inclusion of anthocyanins as a target characteristic in breeding programs can ensure the development of cultivars to meet the nutritional needs for human consumption in the developing world.

Anthocyanins in Plant Food: Current Status, Genetic Modification, and Future Perspectives

“…More recently, IbMYB1 is a necessary regulator which constitutes three members, IbMYB1-1 , IbMYB1-2a and IbMYB1-2b . IbMYB1-2 has also been recognized as a master regulatory gene activating the expression of LBGs [ 44 ]. IbMYB44 is suggested to be a repressor in anthocyanin biosynthesis.…”

Comparative analysis of phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant content in root vegetables from organic and conventional production

“…Composition and content of secondary metabolites and antioxidants plant capacity depends on genetic factors, production conditions (temperature, light, availability of water and nutrients), agricultural practice (harvest date, etc.) and conditions after harvest (Chen et al 2022;Mattoo et al 2022;Pazos et al 2022). In vegetable samples from conventional production, the total phenolic content was (mg GAE/100 g fresh sample) from 39.28 to 427.38 while in organically grown vegetable was from 23.57 to 292.67 mg GAE/100 g fresh sample) (Table 1).…”

Purple Rehmannia: Investigation of the activation of R2R3‐MYB transcription factors involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis

“…Anthocyanins are a promising health‐promoting group of phytochemicals (Mattoo et al, 2022). Therefore, increasing the anthocyanins content in the underground parts of tuberous root and rhizome crops is of great significance.…”

“…In this study, six MYB genes (RgMYB41, RgMYB42, RgMYB43, RcMYB1, RcMYB3, and RhMYB1) were cloned from R. glutinosa, R. chingii, and R. henry. After stable overexpression of the six MYB genes in tobacco and Rehmannia, the total anthocyanin content of the corollas was significantly increased in different transgenic tissues Anthocyanins are a promising health-promoting group of phytochemicals (Mattoo et al, 2022). Therefore, increasing the anthocyanins content in the underground parts of tuberous root and rhizome crops is of great significance.…”